Clifford R. Burns said he hadn’t seen his children in eight months because of “court orders,” and his wife, Patricia Burns, had been calling his cellphone and threatening to have him arrested for missing child support payments.

He said a Warren County support collection agent called him that day, and he had also been told he would have his driver’s license suspended.

“It was my last straw. I lost it. It’s Christmas and I haven’t seen my kids in three Christmases,” he said. “Everything I worked for my whole life has been taken from me. So what’s a man to do?”

Nearly seven hours of videotaped police questioning of Burns and his conversations with police was filed Wednesday in Warren County Court after Burns pleaded not guilty to a five-count indictment that charges him with second-degree murder, first-degree assault and lesser charges for the Dec. 24 attack at Patricia Burns’ Lake Avenue home in Lake Luzerne.

He is accused of repeatedly stabbing Patricia Burns, 42, with a hunting knife, and stabbing her 22-year-old daughter when she tried to intervene.

One of his daughters, 14-year-old Autumn Burns, suffered a minor hand injury during the melee but it was unclear how it happened.

In the video, he spent hours talking about what led up to his going to his wife’s home, but repeatedly said he “blacked out” when asked what happened at her home.

“It was like the devil took my body over today. I just couldn’t take it anymore,” he said. “Dude, I blacked out. I don’t know what the (expletive) happened. ... I don’t even know what the (expletive) I did tonight.”

He said he had been paying $250 a week in child support for his two teenage daughters with Burns, and had been paying for his wife’s children by other men but his wife didn’t seek child support from their fathers. He said he earned over $100,000 a year as a “tree climber.”

“I paid $250 a week and the kids are calling there’s no food in the house,” he said. “They just want you to pay, pay, pay, pay. Every time you go, they’re looking for more money.”

Emotions

The videos show wild emotional swings by Burns.

He is often agitated and combative, repeatedly ranting and cursing, yelling at the police officers in his room, slamming his hands against a desk, knocking over a computer monitor at one point as he was being warned about his outbursts.

He repeatedly used racial epithets, said he had a “white power” tattoo on his torso, and accused his wife of infidelity and neglecting her children.

At various points, he threatened sheriff’s Investigator Doug David and other officers, threatening to “rip your (expletive) head off” as David questioned him.

At another, he cried and said “I just wanted to see my babies at Christmas. I just wanted to see my girls.”

“Why don’t you put a (expletive) bullet in my head,” he said shortly after he was brought into the interview room, repeating it at other times on the video. “I don’t want to live no more. You took everything from me.”

Burns also told police he had contemplated bringing guns to Lake Luzerne, shooting his wife and fleeing into the woods.

“I could have made this a war. You would have had to drop a (expletive) platoon in the woods for me,” he said. “I cut you (expletives) a big break tonight (expletives).”

He told police he wrote out a will before he left his home to make sure his children got his possessions.

He repeatedly ranted about a February 2013 criminal case that involved his wife and her then-boyfriend, Ted Backus, the brother of two Warren County sheriff’s deputies, calling police “corrupt” for their handling of it. Backus was charged with assaulting Patricia Burns, and was accused of firing a gun shot into the ceiling of his home. Burns said he believed he should have been charged with multiple felonies.

“He should have had four felonies for an unregistered handgun. You (expletives) gave him misdemeanors and the SWAT team comes,” he said. “You guys started this war. You rigged another man’s charges because his brothers are sheriffs.”

Court records also show that Burns allegedly threatened to assault or kill a number of corrections officers and fellow inmates in Warren County Jail after he was brought in.

“He stated multiple times that he can and is going to ‘snap my neck like a twig’,” Correction Officer Anthony Kubaryk wrote. “He also stated that he is going to cut my throat and take my tongue and mop the floor with my blood.”

Also among the court filings Wednesday was the audio recording of the chilling, 10-minute, 23-second 911 call made by a sobbing Autumn Burns after the attack.

In it, the teen is heard telling the Warren County dispatcher that Clifford R. Burns came into the home and stabbed her mother and sister. She can be heard begging her mother to “hold on.”

“My dad just came in and stabbed her. My mom’s bleeding on the floor,” the girl said, sobbing.

Arraignment

Burns’ new lawyer, Wayne Smith, entered a not guilty plea on his client’s behalf.

The 46-year-old Burns, wearing a black-and-white jail jumpsuit, spoke only to list his address and acknowledge he had received orders of protection barring him from having contact with the survivors of his attack, his stepdaughter and daughter.

Warren County Judge John Hall sent him to Warren County Jail without bail. Smith did not ask for bail, after Hall pointed out Burns had a criminal record that included two felony convictions and four misdemeanor convictions.

The Warren County District Attorney’s Office also filed medical records in court that detailed the injuries Patricia Burns and her daughter suffered.

Court records show Patricia Burns suffered five stab wounds to the torso and arms, and died from a punctured lung and lacerated liver. Her daughter, Megan Jenkins, 22, suffered a deep stab wound to her left arm that required surgery to repair a tendon.

Smith was recently retained by Burns’ family, after the Warren County Public Defender’s Office represented him at initial court appearances.

“It’s a tragedy for the whole family,” Smith said. “We entered a not guilty plea, we’re going to investigate this and we’ll go from there.”

Police initially listed a Niskayuna address for Burns, but he told Hall that his last address was in Schenectady.

He faces up to 50 years to life in state prison if convicted of the murder and assault counts, which could result in consecutive sentences.

No further court dates were set, but Smith was directed to file pre-trial motions by March 14.

Watch this discussion.Stop watching this discussion.

(57) comments

I'm am incredibly, deeply disturbed and disgusted that the Post Star would post this video. Not only is it loaded with violent language and behavior, but when this man began discussing his underage child's relationship with a boyfriend I was completely sickened and shaken. Who would EVER think this was appropriate to broadcast?? If I was a relative to that child I would be calling a lawyer tonight. You made a colossal mistake. Shame....

The video was posted with plenty of warning about the content. This isn't primetime network television. The video offers us a perspective that can't be conveyed by the written word. It's not pretty, but it's reality.

I'm incredibly deeply disturbed by the actions of this clown on the video. I sure hope there is no plea deal with this. Gotta love video!!!! There's plenty of warning of the nature of this video so u don't have to watch it- but the problem is that the general public don't have a clue what the police deal with and in this case a obvious murderers real actions!! He's not a victim in any means.

I agree. Outside of being disturbing and highly inappropriate to be posted on postar.com, how does the Warren County Sherrif's office administration and Sheriff York release such a video, which is clearly EVIDENCE in a murder trial. How does the judicial system prosecute an individual who committed such a heinous act through due process and unbiasly when the Sheriff releases such evidence (this video) and expects the public's image and the general public not to be bias in such a case. Although the evidence looks cut and dry, how can you say this man will have a fair trial in the county???? WAY TO GO YORK!!!! This decision sums up your whole tenure as Sheriff.

►stupidYork "Although the evidence looks cut and dry, how can you say this man will have a fair trial in the county????"◄

Maybe that's the problem in this country! Maybe people who DO such crimes SHOULD be tried by this type of evidence that looks this cut & dry. "Fair trial" shouldn't even be a factor in situations like this. This man murdered the mother of his children in cold blood in front of his children and even had cut them! He is point blank stating over and over what he did and even asked if she was dead! Nothing fair about that now is there?! Prison for life! End of story!

As far as the "Backus brothers" I believe him when he states all the things he did about them cops as well. I'm not even from NY, but I do know the men in blue in ANY state have their "blue code of honor" and definitely do a lot of f'ed up stuff! Although, what happened with that did involve him in a way, it really has nothing to do with what he did. He can't blame them for killing her.

I am sickened by the content of this article as well as the fact that the video is posted. The Editor of this paper tries to portray himself as someone who cares about the confidentiality of arrested teens and then turns around and posts something that will likely cause significant damage to children who are nothing but innocent victims. The adults who are left in their world to try to help them pick up the pieces are helpless in an effort to shelter them from this information thanks it's rapid spread through social media. I see no benefit to reporting such graphic details which will surely cause what is known as secondary wounding.

►Farm "I am sickened by the content of this article as well as the fact that the video is posted."◄

Then you shouldn't have watched it. It states that it is graphic,etc...

►"posts something that will likely cause significant damage to children who are nothing but innocent victims"

I feel terribly bad for the teens, but on the other hand as far as your comment, the teens lived this life, which is horrible in it's own. Although, I am sure what their father said in this video is nothing new to them or things they have heard. Let alone what happened to them within that very incident.

This defendant is very troubled, but I think that he made a serious mistake talking to the police without his attorney being present. He should realized that this video does not help his case at all. He does not appear to be mentally ill, just very angry. Juries are prone to convict someone who is likely to be of an angry, violent temperament.

►Key-"but I think that he made a serious mistake talking to the police without his attorney being present."◄

That's why cops make defendants sit in that room that long before a lawyer shows, hoping you 'spill' because your emotions are up. Most often you don't even see your lawyer until the following day even.

►"He does not appear to be mentally ill, just very angry."◄

Agreed. That's why he stabbed her, he was angry. Again which is why he said all this before he seen his lawyer, he was still angry.

►"Juries are prone to convict someone who is likely to be of an angry, violent temperament"◄

Oh absolutely. Although, I don't see how anyone can keep calm during any case and if they do then they are considered in another light-emotionless, uncaring,no remorse, etc.

I wished I hadn't watched the video. I don't know anyone involved in this, but the I found it all so disturbing that I couldn't get it out of mind. My heart cries for the family, and for this man. In my opinion, the system made a terrible situation worse than it needed to be. They made demands on this man until he had nothing left. I sensed not only anger in this man, but a total sense of loss with no hope of ever recovering. No money, no contact with his children, and still the system demanded more from him, more than he was capable of giving. There may be more history than I, or most of the people know, but I find this sad for everyone involved.

►Fallleaves- "I don't know anyone involved in this," "My heart cries for the family, and for this man. In my opinion, the system made a terrible situation worse than it needed to be." "There may be more history than I, or most of the people know, but I find this sad for everyone involved."◄

Whole heartedly agreed. My condolences go out to all the families effected in this tragedy. God be with you in your time of need.

there was a graphic content warning on this video so quit your crying people. the post star was correct in posting this so quit whining about them. the mistake was on the part of the sheriff for releasing it as it will undoubtedly have a huge impact on the trial, provided burns hires an intelligent lawyer. I agree the system pushed this man over the edge right or wrong the way child support is handled is crazy and I know I have come close to snapping when I have to deal with these people thank god I keep up otherwise who knows.........

What stuck me most about the very disturbing content was the total lack of remorse this monster had for the wife he said he "loved" one minute and called the most foul names... a woman he murdered in cold blood "allegedly". He uses the "f" word when referring to his children "his babies...he loves". I have no idea what kind of woman the victim was, whether or not she use to be any of the things he accused her of, fact is it does not matter, she was a human being, a mother she DID NOT deserve what happen to her...I do know one thing with out question from watching this video. Clifford Burns is a man who takes NO responsibility for his own actions, EVERYTHING was and is someone else's fault. He is the most evil kind of weak man. His racist, hatred toward the police, woman...his own daughters was chilling. I pray that his man will be put so deep in a jail cell no one will ever have to hear his foul month or see his dark heart again. God help his children!

Hopefully this video being released can show some people that this stuff is real. It doesn't get more real then seeing the video. These animals walk amongst us but go ahead buy this rag and listen to politicians ask for less police to save you a buck. You clearly hear this man talking about wanting to harm the police and all the means he has to do that. When you sit all fat and happy behind your desk or your telephone at work if someone very said the things to you that he just said to these officers you wouldn't sleep for weeks and would demand an investigation that you wouldn't be satisfied with anyways. My heart goes out to the families involved but I hope all of you do gooders that watched this realize this is real it doesn't just happen on your tv shows you watch behind your locked door and alarm system at night.

I think the Post Star is absolutely in the right for posting the video. The role of the media should be to provide the public with facts, not to filter facts. The link below is the Backus story he rants about.

He took a very long drive armed with a deadly weapon, used it to kill his former wife when he arrived at her home, and stabbed one of his daughters for good measure, and we're supposed to believe he has no recall and blacked during the assault?

This sounds premeditated to me, and I guess it's a good thing for him I'm not on the jury.

for those whinning about this video being evidence, there is no evidence of the crimes he is charged with in this video. This video is just the rantings of a very messed up guy, who is hopefully going to spend the rest of his life in jail. The same for those whinning about the content of the video. No one told you to watch it. There are tons of warnings by the PS about it, and the first 2 or 3 minutes should make you want to turn it off if it offends you. No one forced you to click the play button.

He is a scum bag, the release of this video was also wrong. Yet he should had taken his own life not one of an others. In this case after his racial slurs he should not last long in prison! I am truly sorry for the family which has been dealing with this terrible lose. I live in the community and the town has pulled together to help with this horrific crime. He deserves nothing less than an eye for an eye. As with any murderer.

I support the posting of this video. It is public embarassment for the murderer. I do feel very sad for the victims and their losses. I hope they are able to find peace in their lives with the loss of their parents. This video is very eye opening to the types of angry abusers in society. Women, take note. If you live with a man who has such anger inside of him such as this man, run for the hills. I lived it and survived it.

I think this should be reason enough to go back and check into some of the things he rants about..... this is very eye opening. Maybe the system should revamp it's ways a little bit. He is just as human as his wife was. Unfortunately, one of them was pushed to the absolute edge and took the other one's life. I pity the children in this case, however I believe if you are going to post a story for the public to see, showing all sides is important. The story itself is brutal and deep rooted. But if the man wants to talk, let him talk! It has warning labels on it and if you click on the link then you were interested in what he had to say at one point. Just because how he speaks doesn't live up to your standards, doesn't mean it shouldn't be posted. At least he isn't being stoned to death in village square for all to see. It is a video of someone speaking. Just because what he did is wrong, doesn't mean hearing his side of the story is. This is real life stuff. Also, the Ted Backus story he was referring to is all true, and it only resulted in 2 misdemeanors.... pretty sketchy to me!!! Very sad, eye opening stuff here. Don't blind yourselves just because you don't understand.

Finally someone that wants to comment on the actual story. This man is obviously wrong for his actions, but pay attention to his story. If someone actually looks into his "rant" I bet much of what he says has is true. I'm worried more about what child protective services failed to do than I am about the Post Star posting this video.

Once again I do not condone this mans actions, but I am not surprised this happened. Any man that has dealt with child protective services and or the court system knows the frustration this man feels. It takes a strong man with a strong family network to get through the "one sided" child support system in NYS. My condolences to his daughters. They should be the focus now.

I have no problem with the post star posting the video. They warn you of the content before you watch it. I hope it doesn't give this guy an out, to say he can't get a fair trial. Lots of appeals, that sort of thing. He isn't the first man that I know of that got a bad deal from "child support" I think it's safe to say, that should be looked into. I watched about 20 minutes of it. I could feel bad for him....except for the fact that he just KILLED SOMEONE! Nope. No remorse. It's all about him. He loves his children? REALLY? He lost all credibility when he killed his exwife. I don't want to hear his rants. How can he plead "not guilty"? What a joke. Ranting about the women he says he "loves". Calling her names. Why didn't he kill himself too then? Coward that he is!

What I find so incredibly disturbing about the content of this article is that fact that everyone is looking right past the girls. Although the Post Star did put a warning for the video being so graphic, it doesn't stop the constant talking and whispering that goes on in the school halls. These girls have been through enough. I understand that people have the right to view these sort of things, but this whole thing is absolutely disgusting to me. Kids at the school see articles like this and all they do is talk talk talk about it. The girls don't want to hear it anymore! They don't want to be constantly reminded of the horror they were put through! It's disgusting that the Post Star would even CONSIDER putting them through that.

Really tragic situation. I can see completely see why this guy lost it. A man taken for everything he's worth is a man reduced to the size of a pea. He really needed some help and it sounds like there was no one to help him. I think by sharing this video it sheds light on just what can happen in domestic violence situations. As for the Backus brothers, that sounds very fishy to me. I think that needs further investigation. Prayers for the children here. Sad.

fallleaves: it seems you are the only intelligent one posting in here. the system pushes people over the edge. i have always said that if someone gets killed because the system pushes them over the edge, the family of the decease should file a lawsuit suing the government for their contribution to this tragedy. i am surprised that more of this has not happened. and what is sad, no one working in the family courts will make any changes to prevent these issues. they will continue to push their draconian laws upon the people, usually the father, and take no blame in their contribution to this tragedy. it is always a person, never the system.

ok so i just watched the video and i must say after watching it, i also went to the shooting he is talking about with Ted Backus...Well i guess he was right!! and it clearly states that his two brothers work in the sheriffs office. I don't understand alot of the things in there but clearly this man has problems..i did notice however he was saying he blacked out and last thing he remembers is talking with his sister and losing it. Then he states that he was doing 120 up the northway awhile later, then he repeatedly says he don't know how he got there, but yet said all he wanted to do was hug his babies!! I dont agree with the way the other situation was handled that happened with Ted Backus, and i don't agree that this video was put up. I will say i am proud of how the warren county sheriffs handled this and stayed calm, but find myself asking was this because of the taping. to end i feel our law enforcement needs to start responding to these things instead of saying call FAMILY COURT!

and my heart aches for the poor innocent children involved in this. And yes people have been in issues reguarding child support,, but only owing 2 payments and a warrent issued?!? Well in that case Washington county better get to work cause my ex owes over 2 months worth. Like i said this should have been kept for the trial and not posted, but the media posts what they want. And whether its a fact or not it just keeps giving ppl something to fight or talk about.

And Family Court needs to change their policy!! so many more will and can get hurt and in the end it is the Children who are hurt the most...SMH

I would like to say that I am extremely impressed with the police officers and how they handled this interview. You guys did an outstanding job in this video. Praying for those poor children they are going to need a life time of counseling.

There are warnings posted for this item so people should not watch if horrified easily. This is obviously a sick man whom was pushed to far, but there is no excuse for taking a life of another. yes the system does not do well for some in this situation however we are on the other side of the spectrum, a man abused his children and lost custody, until he was to do what was ordered. instead he did not, he lost his job because he fell asleep and the magistrate in our county said it was no fault of his own even though it was obvious it was more then once and he was being watched so he took unemployment and then minimum wage jobs to enable him to pay $96.00 per month for three teenagers. With a College degree, then runs out of state and tells no one even though it was court ordered he do so. Now he hides behind a religion in Utah because NY did not make him responsible and he pays peanuts, while his ex raises their kids not a good man but not worth a murder charge.

There is a search box on this website. Plug in the name Ted Backus and read the article for yourself instead of siding with a lunatic who just killed someone. Oh yeah...allegedly killed someone. It says right in it that the victim in this case lied to the police and said there were no shots fired in the apartment. It also said nobody was in the room the gun was fired in. Instead all of the conspiracy theorists jump at the fact the defendant was related to two officers. The charges are the charges. What more could the police have done? A special prosecutor handled it. Were they in on it too? New York state laws are on the internet. Read the facts and look at the laws. I did and it seems like the police charged all they could. Enough already!

This guy is ranting about everything under the sun and some of you that are posting are buying his story about losing everything and being arrested for missing 2 support payments?

Use some common sense and take everything he says with a grain of salt. I don't believe that there has been any proof released as to what he was or wasn't doing for a living, and how he lost it all, and how he was going to be arrested etc etc. Keep in mind he clains that he was making $100K a year, but the $250 a week child support made him broke. Really?????

whatever the results of the Backus case were, they have nothing to do with this. the victim was the accused EX wife. what she does is none of his business. Who Mr Backus's brothers are have less than nothing to do with this. They did nothing and shouldn't even be mentioned in any of these stories.

Out of curiosity...when this poor, hard working, family man got the call from the child support unit and just snapped...did he stop somewhere along the hour long ride to kill his ex-wife to join the Hells Angels and get the white power tattoo across his stomach that he was so proud of???

He has 4 felony and 2 misdemeanor convictions? Guess he has been called by the child support unit before. He should just take responsibility for his actions. He put his children through enough. Also I read earlier in other comments people being critical of the police for releasing this video. This article is quoting from material within court records. Obviously it was turned over to the court to be prosecuted and the Post Star requested it from there. The editor should make that clear so any opinion the public wishes to express over how video was obtained and why it was released can be an informed one. As it stands the public assumes the police made an egregious error in releasing it and compromised an investigation.

I have been on both ends of the support collection unit, as a support paying parent, and a support receiving parent (one child). Warren county child support collection unit on more than one occasion exceeded the legal limit they could garnish from me, they at times exceeded the judges order for pay withheld, and there is little you can do about it. It can be an EXTREMELY frustrating thing, looking at losing everything you own, and being powerless to stop it, knowing they are writing their own rules. By the time you get a lawyer/get it straightened out, it's a moot point, as the damage is done. SCU needs some oversight. I also can not believe Warren county Sheriffs Department released this video evidence, potentially damaging the airtight case they had on this guy. It's amazing this happened, and shameful. I hope they don't lose the case, this man needs to go away for a long time, not get off on a technicality.

The video is evidence and required to be turned over to the court. Once the court has it, it is part of the public record and can be accessed by the media directly from the court. This is not a decision the prosecutors or law enforcement have any say over. Clearly this is not a desired way for this to play out prior to picking a jury.

This type of case is what The Chief Family Court Judge Judith Kaye is trying to prevent. Had the court complied with "right to first refusal" this likely never would have happend, If his side of story is true, he was provoked. When this story first aired I thought real negative of this man, now I'm on the other side of fence. NYS child support standards act dictates, 18percent for one child and 25% for 2 I do believe; the court often puts a unjust flat rate on the noncustodial parents. Shame on the system.

He was paying $250/wk, hardly the guidelines for a man making $100k/yr. Also, there is no way SCU will even worry about you being 2 weeks behind. They will not take your license unless you are seriously behind in payments. They actually do send out a letter once a year that makes it sound like you are going to lose your license, tax return and have extra garnished, but you get this EVERY year and quickly realize it is a form letter. He's been paying long enough to know the deal. This man is a pathetic excuse for a human, and a real bad liar. Don't buy his BS story, because it is not true. Regardless of how bad the system is, he is still a murderer of his children's mother. There is not enough justification to take her life in his case. HE is not the VICTIM, he is a master manipulator, as are most abusive spouses.

I'm not sure how anyone can make excuses for this animal's actions. There are apparently 101 reasons why he was kept from his children. He's violent and had no regard for the mother of his children. If he did what he was supposed to, he wouldn't have "snapped". No excuses could ever justify his actions. My heart goes out to the family. So incredibly sorry for your loss.

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